A bustling port reveals its secrets
A warm August sun greeted thirty-three freshly minted Congolese baccalaureate holders as they stepped through the gates of Pointe-Noire’s container terminal. For many, it was their first look at the beating industrial heart of their coastal nation.
The one-day immersion, organized on 28 August 2025 by Congo Terminal in partnership with Kimia Events Team, stitched classroom theory to portside reality, guiding the group through the ambitious Môle Est expansion that promises to double handling capacity within four years.
After a short safety briefing, the visitors settled into the operations hall. Animated infographics traced cargo journeys from Asian factories to Central African supermarkets, illustrating how digital dashboards, satellite tracking and human expertise converge to move thousands of boxes without a daily hiccup.
“Ports may look like pure steel and cement, yet they are powered by people,” declared Planning Manager Serge Batchi-Bouity, drawing nods from the students. He stressed that software engineers, accountants and human-resource specialists are as vital as crane operators on a modern quay.
An initiative nurtured by Congo Terminal
Congo Terminal, subsidiary of the French-based Bolloré group, has overseen Pointe-Noire operations since 2009. According to the company’s 2024 performance sheet, throughput climbed from 150,000 containers to more than 1.1 million, turning the port into a Gulf of Guinea hub.
Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, management says, now emphasise youth inclusion. Over the past three years, nearly 800 learners from schools in Brazzaville, Dolisie and Pointe-Noire have toured the docks, workshops and simulators, gaining exposure once reserved for maritime cadets.
Young minds meet seasoned experts
At the eastern mole itself, concrete piles towered like grey cathedrals above the surf. Engineers explained that the 800-metre berth will host super-post-Panamax ships, reducing trans-shipment costs for Congolese exporters by an estimated 15 percent, according to African Ports Review.
Seventeen-year-old Beraca Telombila, who plans to study human-resource management, said the visit reshaped her ambitions. “I can apply my future skills here, not only in an office tower,” she smiled, snapping photos of lattice cranes against a turquoise Atlantic horizon.
Similar enthusiasm echoed among peers eyeing civil engineering, customs brokerage and information security. For many, the port symbolised global connectivity otherwise seen only in textbooks, a practical backdrop to national narratives about economic diversification championed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Môle Est: a strategic cornerstone
Construction began in 2022 with financing from local banks and the Africa Finance Corporation. Completion is slated for late 2026. Project managers forecast 1,500 direct jobs during building and a further 400 permanent positions once the quay, yard and rail link open.
Economists at the University of Marien Ngouabi note that Pointe-Noire already handles 60 percent of trade for neighbouring landlocked countries such as Central African Republic. Expanded capacity could slice regional freight times, stimulating cross-border commerce and bolstering domestic tax revenues.
Government officials, interviewed by state broadcaster Télé Congo, framed the works as proof of public-private alignment behind the national development plan. They highlighted security upgrades, including high-definition scanners and biometric gates, designed to keep contraband out while keeping investor confidence in.
Education meets industry in Pointe-Noire
The August field trip formed part of a broader orientation programme following the release of 2025 baccalaureate results. Kimia Events Team curated sectoral excursions across mining, telecoms and agro-industry, but the port module attracted the highest number of applications in 48 hours.
Educational consultant Clarisse Moulemvo said the demand shows young Congolese view logistics as ‘tomorrow’s backbone.’ She pointed to World Bank data placing trade and transport services among the fastest-growing segments of the country’s non-oil GDP, even amid global slowdowns.
In return, companies gain a talent pipeline already familiar with safety protocols and sustainability rules. Congo Terminal HR manager Agathe Tchicaya confirmed that five previous tour participants are now interns, with two slated for overseas crane-simulation training in Le Havre this November.
Looking ahead: skills for a diversifying economy
As the students boarded the returning bus, discussions turned to scholarships, language requirements and the possibility of dual diplomas with maritime academies in Ghana or Morocco. Mentors urged them to strengthen maths, English and coding, skills increasingly demanded across port ecosystems.
Congo’s Ministry of Technical Education aims to introduce specialised port-logistics modules into secondary curricula next year. A draft syllabus obtained by Congo-Education magazine outlines lessons on supply-chain analytics, coastal engineering and green fuels, mirroring global shifts toward smarter and cleaner maritime corridors.
Industry observers welcome the move. “Automation will not abolish jobs, but redefine them,” argued Dr. Blaise Mabiala, logistics lecturer. He cited International Transport Forum studies predicting African ports will need 50,000 additional data specialists by 2030 to stay competitive.
For now, the fresh graduates carry home an early taste of that future. Their photos flood social media, sparking curiosity among classmates still undecided about university paths. The expedition, they insist, turned a far-away industrial complex into an accessible, even inspiring, career stage.
If follow-up mentoring and scholarship support materialise, observers say the August visit may become more than a memorable selfie opportunity. It could mark the start of a steady stream of Congolese professionals anchoring their ambitions—and the nation’s growth—alongside the cranes of Môle Est.
